The National Cancer Institute has developed a tool that helps identify behaviors that expose people to preventable cancer risk factors.
- The National Cancer Institute is organizing a digital information campaign on cancer prevention. It runs until September 15.
- An interactive test allows you to assess your risky behavior. At the end, a personalized assessment and targeted action proposals are proposed.
- The tool also gives the possibility to discover your face aged 30 years thanks to artificial intelligence.
Nearly a third of French people believe that nothing can be done to prevent cancer, according to the 2021 Cancer barometer. To put an end to this misconception and, above all, to warn people against bad habits that increase their risk of developing the disease, the National Cancer Institute has launched a fun and interactive tool called “My cancer prevention test”.
Cancer: an interactive tool to project yourself in 30 years
The test, launched as part of the information campaign on cancer prevention that runs until September 15, invites each Internet user to assess their cancer risk. To do this, they must provide a few key points of their profile (gender, age, height, weight) and answer questions about their lifestyle and daily behavior.
“These are organized around the main avoidable risk factors for cancer: tobacco and alcohol consumption, eating habits, physical activity, exposure to UV rays. The test also explores personal or family history that may be risk factors for developing certain cancers,” the press release states.
At the end of the questionnaire, a personalized assessment identifying the risk factors as well as proposals for targeted actions to reduce them are proposed.
Users also have the opportunity to discover what their face will look like in 30 years. This aged portrait is based on artificial intelligence and is offered to highlight that the choices made today allow us to age healthily or not.
Cancer: the 5 modifiable risk factors
More than 433,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in France in 2023. Nearly half of them are linked to preventable factors. The most important are:
- Smoking: Smoking is the number one preventable risk factor for cancer. Each year, tobacco causes 68,000 new cases of cancer and 46,000 deaths from cancer. “A smoker has a 70% chance of quitting if he receives help from a health professional, so don’t hesitate to ask for help if quitting is too difficult.”recalls the National Cancer Institute in its press release.
- Alcohol: To limit the risk of cancer linked to drinking, it is recommended not to exceed 2 drinks per day and not every day. More precisely, you should limit yourself to 10 drinks per week and respect at least 2 alcohol-free days per week.
- Diet: unbalanced menus and excess weight are the cause of 19,000 new cases of cancer per year in France. It is recommended, among other things, to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day, to limit your consumption of red meat, cold cuts or ultra-processed products.
- Sedentary lifestyle: Adults are recommended to engage in at least the equivalent of 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity per day to reduce the risk of malignant tumors and other diseases.
- The sun: exposure to UV rays, if frequent, prolonged and without protection (sunscreen, clothing, etc.), significantly increases the risk of skin cancer.
